Along with Netflix, Disney has now questioned their future over filming projects in Georgia - after state governor Brian Kemp signed its ‘heartbeat bill’, which would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeatcan be detected. Netflix was the first big Hollywood studio to oppose the bill - which could come into effect from January next year - as boss Ted Sarandos promised to work with the American Civil Liberties Union to put up a legal fight against the bill.
And now, Disney have followed the streaming giant’s example, saying they might join the growing movement to boycott the state's film industry, which is reported to be worth $9.5 billion. In a new interview with Reuters, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, ‘I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now we are watching it very carefully.' He added that he didn’t see how it would be ‘practical’ for the company to continue to shoot there if the law takes effect.
It follows the creative team behind Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, announcing that they will not be filming their latest comedy in Georgia. A rep confirmed to Variety that their latest project Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is no longer going to be filmed in the state. (The Handmaid's Tale director Reed Morano was also planning on filming new Amazon Studios series The Power there, but has since decided to film in a different location.)
The boycott in Georgia follows Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Jameela Jamil rallying the fight against Alabama’s ‘heinous’ abortion ban, which passed by 25-6, ahead of being signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. Unless the mother’s life is at risk, the new ruling means all abortions in Alabama are illegal. Doctors could face between 10 and 99 years behind bars - and as Gaga pointed out, that means there is ‘a higher penalty for doctors who perform these operations than for most rapists’.
‘It is an outrage to ban abortion in Alabama period, and all the more heinous that it excludes those have been raped or are experiencing incest non-consensual or not,’ Gaga wrote on Twitter. ‘So there’s a higher penalty for doctors who perform these operations than for most rapists? This is a travesty and I pray for all these women and young girls who will suffer at the hands of this system. I love you Alabama prayers to all women and young girls.'
Other influential women - and men - have also slammed the restrictive laws, including Lizzo, Liam Payne and Dua Lipa. Look below to see what they've said.
Celebrities Speaking Out Against America's Abortion Laws
1 of 10Emily Ratajkowski
Alongside a photo of her posing (almost nude), the model wrote, 'This week, 25 old white men voted to ban abortion in Alabama even in cases of incest and rape. These men in power are imposing their wills onto the bodies of women in order to uphold the patriarchy and perpetuate the industrial prison complex by preventing women of low economic opportunity the right to choose to not reproduce. The states trying to ban abortion are the states that have the highest proportions of black women living there. This is about class and race and is a direct attack on the fundamental human rights women in the US deserve and are protected by under Roe vs. Wade. Our bodies, our choice.'
2 of 10Lizzo
Pop queen Lizzo tweeted, 'This is how The Handmaid's Tale started. It's shit like this and we gon look up and be enslaved again y'all — stay vigilant because this is terrifying.' Reposting an image of the senators, she added, 'WHY ARE MEN GREAT TILL THEY GOTTA BE GREAT? I'm so disappointed.'
3 of 10Busy Philipps
After Busy opened up about having an abortion on her show, she Tweeted, '1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Many people think they don't know someone who has, but #youknowme. So let's do this: if you are also the 1 in 4, let's share it and start to end the shame. Use #youknowme and share your truth.'
4 of 10John Legend
Chrissy Teigen's husband wrote on Twitter, 'These statehouses are waging all-out war on women and their right to control their reproductive decisions. This is awful.'
5 of 10Barbra Streisand
'The retrograde Alabama criminalizes abortion even in the case of rape and incest. Voted for overwhelmingly by GOP men. Handmaid's Tale from the GOP,' Barbra Streisand said, noting the Hulu series.
6 of 10Stacey Dooley
Grazia's Stacey Dooley simply posted an image on Instagram that repeated the words, 'Men shouldn't be making laws about women's bodies.'
7 of 10Charli XCX
Charli posted an image of the billboard 'Keep abortion legal,' with the simple caption, 'EVERYWHERE'.
8 of 10Dua Lipa
The popstar tweeted alongside an image of a sign 'KEEP ABORTION LEGAL', 'Not your body. Not your choice. No justification needed. No man should be making such a fundamental decision on a womans body. How is it that abortion gets banned before guns? Our rights need to be heard. And we have a right to be outraged. In solidarity with my sisters.'
9 of 10Liam Payne
Liam - who has 2-year-old Bear Payne with ex-girlfriend Cheryl - posted on Twitter and Instagram. 'I don't usually comment on politics but this one got me and is so important. This whole abortion law thing in America is a mess, I mean your completely taking away the rights of women and the ownership of the bodies that belong to them. Watching someone go through pregnancy and how tough it can be at times and us as men never have to go through that so how can we even comment or decide what women should or shouldn't go through, it is total BS that anyone is even given that power.'
10 of 10Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig, along with fellow Bridesmaids star Annie Mumolo, has pulled out of filming latest comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar in Georgia.